NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. - The Little East Conference announced its annual softball all-conference teams and major award winners this afternoon after a vote by the conference's eight head coaches. Keene State College senior outfielder Jenna Patnode (Surry, N.H.) was named the player of the year, while Owls' skipper Charlie Beach was tabbed the coach of the year by his peers. Rhode Island College sophomore pitcher Amanda Berard (Swansea, Mass.) was selected as the pitcher of the year, and Eastern Connecticut State University freshman pitcher Molly Rathbun (Hebron, Conn.) was chosen as the rookie of the year.

Patnode is just the third Keene State College student-athlete to be named the top softball player in the conference, and first since Caroline Kurkowski headlined the 2004 major awards program. The Surry, N.H. product is also making her fourth consecutive appearance on the all-conference, first-team and first as an outfielder. She ranks among the conference leaders in every offensive category: runs batted in (2nd, 34), runs scored (2nd, 55), batting average (3rd, .410), hits (3rd, 55), and on-base percentage (3rd, .488). A consistent hitter, Patnode hit safely in 31 of her 40 games, including 19 contests with multiple hits. She enjoyed her most productive afternoon at the plate against NCAA participant Wisconsin-Whitewater, reaching safely in four (three hits and a walk) of her five appearances and driving in a season-high five runs. The 2006 rookie of the year wreaked havoc on the base paths, establishing a new Owls' single-season record for stolen bases with 42 in just 44 attempts. Patnode was named the offensive player of the week twice.

Berard is making her debut on the all-conference, first-team after being selected as the top pitcher in the Little East, marking the third time in the past four years a student-athlete from Rhode Island College has earned at least a share of the award. The native of Swansea, Mass. leads the nation in saves (12)-just two shy of matching the NCAA Division III record (Kristen Rowe, Christopher Newport, 2007)-while ranking fourth in earned run average (0.54) and 20th in hits per seven innings (4.25). The ace of the top staff in the conference circuit sports a 14-2 record in 37 appearances over 124 innings of work. Berard was dominant in her six starts on the season, throwing five complete games and allowing just two earned runs in 40 innings. She posted her second complete-game shutout on the campaign in the championship game of the Little East Softball Championship against Keene State, scattering six hits and two walks, while striking out one. Berard was named the most outstanding player of the 2009 Little East Softball Championship, leading the Anchorwomen to their fourth consecutive conference crown.

Rathbun is just the second Eastern Connecticut student-athlete to be chosen as the top rookie, and first since Julia Neilson in 1999. The Hebron, Conn. native is second in the nation in hits allowed per seven innings (2.76), third in earned run average (0.50), and 13th in strikeouts per seven innings (9.7) according to the latest NCAA Division III statistical report. Rathbun is just the second pitcher in the program's history to surpass the 200-strikeout mark (201). The all-conference, first-team honoree recorded at least 10 strikeouts eight times, matching her season-high mark by fanning 15 against Keene State on April 26. A starter in 19 of her 27 appearances, Rathbun owns a 16-5 record with three saves and a 0.57 earned run average in 148 innings. She also split time at first base, registering a .270 batting average with eight extra base hits-including four home runs-and driving in 17 runs.

Beach was named the top boss in the conference for the third time in his career, after leading his Owls to an overall record of 26-14, including a 10-4 mark in the Little East. He recorded his 12th straight season with at least 20 wins since joining Division III in 1998. Keene State closed out the regular season with a 14-3 record to earn the second seed in the Little East Softball Championship, climbing two spots from the preseason projections. The Owls reached the championship game of the conference tournament for the second straight season before falling to Rhode Island College, 1-0. Keene State boasts six wins over 2009 NCAA Tournament teams, including handing the Anchorwomen two of their fives losses on the campaign. Beach mentored five student-athletes on the all-conference teams, including a pair of first-team selections. The Owls earned the second seed in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England bracket.

Rhode Island College placed a conference-best nine student-athletes on the all-conference teams, while Keene State was two off the Anchorwomen pace. Eastern Connecticut State University and Western Connecticut State University each earned three honorees, while University of Massachusetts Boston, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and Plymouth State University each had a lone representative.

Initially formed in 1986 as a six-team men's and women's basketball conference, the Little East Conference has since grown to its present eight-school membership, sponsoring championship play in 19 intercollegiate athletics: baseball; men's and women's basketball; men's and women's cross country; field hockey; men's and women's lacrosse; men's and women's soccer; softball; women's swimming; men's and women's tennis; men's and women's indoor track; men's and women's outdoor track and women's volleyball.